A Different Path: Capt. Widhalm’s Early Approach to Lure-Making

Some twenty-somethings prefer to party after work, but at that age, Capt. Cyrus Widhalm headed to his garage instead. There, the enclosed carport-turned-workshop housed a small, grizzly hobby lathe, where the Kailua-Kona, Hawaii-based captain would make 10 new lure shapes a day. “Some would go into the trash,” Widhalm said. “Others, if I liked the shape, I’d make a silicone mold and run it. If I didn’t like how it ran, that shape would go into the trash too.” Widhalm today owns the Kraken Fish Company(Kraken Lures), a business that encompasses his Kraken brand lures and sportfishing charters aboard his 40-foot Cabo, Kraken.

Perfecting the Lure-Making Process

Right from the start, Widhalm’s approach to lure-making was simple: first, catch the fish’s attention, then keep their attention. “I’d often see fish swim into the pattern and fade out, not seeing something they wanted to eat,” he said. “I wanted to create a lure that was too irresistible to pass up. To achieve this, I studied the baitfish they fed on. After many failed attempts, I got the action I was looking for with a shape I now call ‘Mayhem.’ The first time it swam, I kept thinking a marlin was behind. Even today, it manages to fool my crew and me a few times a day.”

The first day back in 2016 when Widhalm ran the Mayhem, he went two-for-three on blues. A month later, fishing with a childhood friend and his seven-year-old son, they caught a 700-pound blue marlin on the Kraken Lures Mayhem. “After that initial success, I was more determined than ever to create the ultimate spread,” he says.

From the Colorado Plains to the Pacific Ocean: The Making of a Fisherman

Widhalm was born in the small town of Hugo, in eastern Colorado, a thousand miles from the nearest coastline. As a child, he would often imagine the rolling hills as waves sweeping across the plains. When he was eight, his family spent a year in Australia and New Zealand, renting a small condo in Mission Beach, Queensland. It was here his affinity for both the ocean and fishing began.

Influences from Down Under: Early Lessons in Fishing

“In the days before smartphones, my brothers Ty, Tyler, and I would hop on a bus to a jetty with our $20 spinning rods,” Widhalm said. “The walk to the end of the pier felt like a mile from the shore. Our days would start like fishermen around the world, catching live bait. After that, we would cast them out for Spanish mackerel. I don’t think I successfully landed a single Spanish mackerel in six months. It was in Australia that I learned an important lesson: the pursuit of a fish doesn’t guarantee catching one. Thus, I became a fisherman.”

One major influence on his passion for lure-making dates to his childhood days in New Zealand.  “After a day of fishing for lake trout, feeling disheartened as my siblings reeled in big catches while I had no luck, I found solace by the river,” Widhalm said.  “It was there that our guide, Morris, appeared with his beloved bamboo fly rod, reminiscent of Norman Maclean from the 1992 film, ‘A River Runs Through It.’ Sensing my disappointment, he lifted my spirits with wise words: ‘Anyone can catch fish with bait, but a true angler catches them on a fly.’ Morris spent the afternoon imparting knowledge about various fly patterns and the art of casting a fly rod. He was the first person to show me the art of catching a fish on an artificial bait, emphasizing the significance of matching the hatch and mastering the technique to attract a bite. I was captivated by his meticulously tied flies and his extensive understanding of when and how to use them.”

Fishing Dreams in Hawaii: From High School to Harbor

Widhalm’s parents moved to Hawaii, where they had honeymooned when he was nine. Growing up, his weekends were spent fishing the rocky coastline of the Big Island. On weekdays, he attended Kealakehe High School, which overlooked Honokohau Harbor. He gazed out the window to see which boats were hooked up. On tournament weekends, he would fish at the harbor and watch which boats came to the weigh station. “I spent as much time dreaming, as fishing, imagining what offshore life was like. Working on a Kona Sportfishing boat felt like a far-fetched dream back then,” he says.

From Skiff to Captain: A Fishing Career Takes Off

At 19, Widhalm and his friends Ryan Brunner and Manny Billegas bought a 1970’s built 19-foot Mako skiff for $3,000. It was missing a deck and had no engine but, after months of restoration, it was finally ready for Kona waters. He spent the next five years learning to troll, live bait, and leader fish aboard this vessel.

In 2015, a hurricane hit the Big Island. Cyrus had gone to the harbor to check on a friend’s boat, a 34-foot Hatteras Express named the Ahi Lani, and noticed the dock line had almost frayed through. He bought new lines and secured his friend’s boat for the storm. “When my friend returned from commercial fishing in Alaska, he thanked me and asked if I wanted to buy him out,” he said.  “Against everyone’s advice, I said yes. Being 25, I barely had enough money to afford half of the boat, but he agreed to hold the note until I could pay him off. Though I didn’t know it then, this decision would catapult my fishing career into the major leagues. I had put up my entire life’s savings, so failure was not an option.”

Kraken Lures: From Mayhem to Mastery

It was off the Ahi Lani that Capt. Cyrus first ran the Mayhem. Soon, he and business partner, Mark Rodrigues, upgraded to a 38-foot Buddy Davis, and then the 43 Cabo, Kraken, he now charters. Through these years, he’s created several successful Kraken-brand lures. Each has been crafted based on the belief that the silhouette of the boat resembles a school of baitfish to pelagic fish and that the lures trailing behind the boat should replicate either the predatory fish chasing the bait ball, or the stragglers left behind.

“In calm waters, I strategically place my most aggressive lures in the short positions,” Widhalm said. “The Kraken 16-inch, Raptor 16-inch, or the World Cup 14-inch are my preferred choices for the corner positions. For the riggers, I opt for medium-sized 12’-inch baits. I position an aggressive short rigger like the Menace or Mayhem and the large Automatic bullet on the long rigger. In the stinger position, I prefer a highly active bullet such as the Automatic 9-inch.

“In rough waters, I adjust by using slightly smaller and less aggressive lure shapes,” Widhalm continued. “I place the World Cup and Menace in the short positions, Auto 12 and Hollow Point 10 on the riggers, and the same Auto 9 on the stinger. These eight lure shapes perform exceptionally well on any boat, whether it’s a multi-million-dollar sportfisher or a $3,000 skiff.”

Mayhem: A Lure That Continues to Deliver

Widhalm still makes and fishes with his first Mayhem lure. It hasn’t changed since 2016, with the exception that he pours it with urethane now for strength. He had Mayhems on the riggers of the 54-foot Caison, Apex, he captains for owner, Dean Leeman, when angler Tim Leeman reeled in the winning 834.5-pound blue marlin in the Blue Marlin World Cup on July 4, 2023.

Widhalm’s Advice for Aspiring Lure Makers

“The most important advice I’d give to captains that want to make lures is to have the same philosophy they have as fishermen,” Widhalm said. “Be patient. Lure making is very frustrating and lure makers are very secretive. You want to get as much information as possible, but that information isn’t out there. Aside from that, start simple. Pour single colors. And always remember to polish longer than you think you need to.”

The Lore Behind The Kraken Name

Back in 2015, Capt. Cyrus Widhalm, his friend Ian MacKelvie and deckhand Manny Billegas were fishing off Kona and hooked a marlin. “It was probably a 25-pound blue marlin,” Widhalm said. “To this day, it’s still the smallest marlin I’ve hooked. We released it and minutes later, Ian says ‘Hey, what’s that? Is that a floater over there?”

The trio drove closer. It turned out to be a 7 ½-foot glass squid floating perfectly intact on top of the water. They pulled it aboard and headed for shore, where word came swiftly that a reporter from the local paper was at the docks to get the story. Widhalm also received a call from NOAA, which ultimately shipped the super-sized squid to its research facility in Seattle.

“That’s where the name Kraken came from,” he says, which is the moniker of his 43-foot Cabo, a lure, and his line of lures. “I also liked the story of the Kraken in mythology,” he added. “It’s this sea monster that lures in ships with its tentacles, scuttles them, and eats the crew. If you think about it, my lures do the reverse. They are like the tentacles of the Kraken luring the fish in.”

Capt. Cyrus Widhalm website: Krakenfishco.com